Nation

Himpunan Hijau sees red over no green light

KUALA LUMPUR: Himpunan Hijau 2.0 organisers have vowed to press on with their anti-Lynas gathering this Sunday despite having their venue application rejected.

Organising chairman Wong Tack said the Kuantan local council had on Monday rejected their request to use the municipal field.

During a press conference at the PAS headquarters here yesterday, Wong said he would appeal against the local council's decision.

“Himpunan Hijau is shocked by the official reply from the local council on Feb 20 that our application cannot be considered'.

“I give an assurance that at 9.30am on Sunday, the rakyat of Kuantan will assemble, no matter what,” said Wong, adding that no other reasons were given for the rejection in the letter signed by the mayor.

He said the letter also stated that the organisers should first obtain a “letter of support or permit” from the police.

“They have the choice to allow us to use the field or the streets,” Wong said, adding that the police had written to the organisers for a meeting yesterday.

The organisers claimed some 20,000 people would be present to oppose the rare earth plant operated by Australia's Lynas Corporation in Gebeng, which has been given a temporary operating licence.

The first Himpunan Hijau gathering was held in October at Taman Gelora beach.

Meanwhile in Kuantan, residents filed an application for a judicial review on the temporary licence.

The suit, which was filed on Friday, named Atomic Energy Licensing Board, the director-general of Environmental Quality at the Department of Environment and Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd as respondents.

Stop Lynas Coalition chairman Andansura Rabu said they were seeking leave to apply for an order of prohibition to stop AELB from issuing any temporary or permanent licence to Lynas until it had submitted a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment report to the Environ-mental Quality director-general.

He added that they were also seeking a stay order on the licence pending the determination of the proceedings.